How did Valentine s Day one of our most popular holidays begin? It started in ancient Rome when a kind physician named Valentine took an interest in a young blind girl. With his healing skill and his deep faith he restored her sight. What we now call Valentine s Day began when he sent the little girl a secret message which she received after the Christian martyr was executed. For this tale rich in sentiment master illustrator Robert Sabuda has created exquisite paper mosaics to suggest early Christian art that resonates with both subtlety and power.